2013–2020: Origins and initial popularity Some of the members knew each other before the group was formed. Bradley and Brown both attended
Bexley Grammar School in London and Olatunji and Minter both attended
Berkhamsted School in
Hertfordshire. The group originates from a
Rockstar Games Social Club group made on 19 October 2013 in
Grand Theft Auto Online, called "The Ultimate Sidemen", which included all the members except for Lewis. In January 2014, Bradley met Lewis while at a
FIFA gaming event in New York City and invited him to join the group. In February 2014, Olatunji, Minter, Bradley, and Barn moved into a house together near London, which they referred to as the "Sidemen House", which allowed them to collaborate more often. In 2016, Olatunji, Minter, Bradley, and Barn moved into another "Sidemen House", living in a 15,000-square-foot, $8.5 million mansion in
Bromley, London. In November 2016, the Sidemen collaborated with
Rocket League to release an in-game SDMN FC community flag that users can get for free inside the game. The group's official YouTube channel, launched for the inaugural
Sidemen Charity Match that year, became the fastest channel to reach one million subscribers. On 1 December 2020, the group's eponymous YouTube channel surpassed 10 million subscribers. Each member of the group was awarded their own
Diamond Play Button by YouTube to mark their milestone. In March 2020, the Sidemen released a twenty-minute YouTube video titled "#StayHome". The video featured the Sidemen and more than one hundred other YouTube video creators and other celebrities raising awareness of the UK's "stay at home" campaign which aimed to reduce the spread of
COVID-19 in the
UK. All of the
advertising revenue generated from the video was donated to the
NHS.
2021–present: Expanded content and continued growth In August 2021, the Sidemen signed with a London-based digital talent management company called Arcade Media. In April 2023, the Sidemen garnered controversy when Olatunji said the racial slur "
Paki" in a
Sidemen Sunday video published on 2 April; a parody of the British game show
Countdown. The Sidemen group were criticised on
Twitter after a clip of Olatunji speaking the slur went viral, and announced that he would be taking a break from social media. In July 2023, the group invested in
The Fellas Studios, a production company founded by YouTubers Callum Airey and Joshua Larkin. On 3 July 2023, the group participated in a collaborative
hide-and-seek challenge video with
Paradise Wildlife Park, a
Hertfordshire-based zoo. This initiative was part of a broader partnership aimed at supporting the zoo's
conservation efforts. On 26 September 2023, the Sidemen signed with
United Talent Agency, an American talent agency, for their representation in all areas of North America. On 17 August 2024, the group appeared and was ranked 21st on
The Times's list of "The UK’s top 30 richest gamers and creators in 2024", estimating £50 million in fortune shared among the group. == YouTube channels ==